schneider



E. SCHNEIDER.

APPARATUS FOR LOADI NG GUNS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31. 1919.

1,326,789. Patented Dec. 30,1919.

Z SHEETSSHEET l.

E, SCHNEIDER.

APPARATUS FOR LOADING GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31. I9I9.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- Patented Dec. 30, 1919.

I citizen of the Republic of France, and a resi- "EUGENE SCHNEIDER, or PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR ro scnnnrnnn acre, orirAnrs,

FRANCE, A LIMITED JOINT-STOCK COMPANY OF FRANCE;

APPARATUS FOR. LOADING GUNS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec, 30 1919.

Original application filed February 14, 1918, Serial No. 217,193. Divided and this applicationfiled March 31, i 1919. Serial No. 286,482. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE SCHNEIDER, a

dent of Paris, France, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for 1 Loading Guns, which invention is fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention has for its object to provide an improved apparatus for loading guns. In my pending application Sr. No.

217,193, filed Feb. 14, 1918, which eventu-V ated in Patent No. 1,310,890, July 22, 1919, and of which the present application is a division, I have described and claimedthe invention generically and one specific form thereof. In the present application there is shown and described a particular embodiment of the invention already shown and 1 described 1n my sald previous appllcatlon and generically but not specifically claimed therein.

The improved apparatus comprises, as usual, a loading carriage traveling in a framing located at the rear of the gun barrel and having the shape of a scoop for receiving the gun charge (projectile and powder charge).

In the same framing there is guided a rammer to which to-and-fro motion is imparted from the electric motor.

The invention consists of an apparatus that enables the actual movements of the member of the clutch is located on the loading carriage and is connected to a shaft mounted in the loading carriage which is operated by means of tappets by the rammer at the ends of its forward and rearward strokes.

In the particular embodiment herein described and claimed-.

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation showing the parts in their position in the beginning of the forward or loading stroke of the rammer;

Figs. :2 and 3 arevertical cross sections,

respectively, on the lines'IIII and IIIIII ofFig.1; I, a

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are longitudinal sections showing the parts in their position during the various stages of the loading operation; and 1 1 1 Fig. 7 is a vertical cross section on the line VIIVII of Fig. 4.

Referring to these like reference letters indicate corresponding parts of the structure, A is a fixed framing provided with rolling tracks a for the wheels I) of the loading carriage B, and also, if clesired, guideways a for edges or wings b of the said carriage. The'carriage B is provided with a rack B, Figs. 1 and 4, engaged by a pinion C fixed on a shaft 0 journaled in drawings in which I the fixedframing. By means of this pinion, V

a pair of wheels 01, Figs. 1 and 2, rolling on the guideways a, 0; which are suitably prolonged to the rear. The rammer may also, if desired, be provided with a pair of rollers at the forward end, not shown in the drawings. To-and-fro motion is imparted to the'rammer by means of a pinion E meshing with a rack D formed on the upper side of the rammer. The shaft 6 on which the pinion E is fixed receives its motion from an electric motor E, Fig. 2.

This apparatus produces the stoppage of the motor at the ends of the forward or loading and rearward strokes of the rammer. It also effects automatically the reversal of the motor for the return strokeof the rammer.

In the lower part of the fixed member A is journaled the shaft 2' having on its lower end the gear I; on the upper end of this shaft is the clutch-member J engaging the complementary elutch-memberKv on the lower end of the shaft k journaled in the lower part of the carriage B. The gear, I drives a gearing (not shown) that controls the switch of the motor E.

and gearing are shown and described in my aforesaid application and patent. On the shaft is is fixed a bevel pinion L which constitutes one of the parts of the gear actuated The detailed construction and, operation of the clutch -at one of its end positions.

by the rammer D when the latter has arrived This gear may comprise, as shown, a toothed arc M on an axle m, ournaled in the carriage B. The end M of the rocking beam iarthest from the arc M is connected by a link N to a lever O fixed on an axle journaled in the car "ria'ge B. The hub of this lever O has two upwardly projecting fingers P and Q adapted respectively to engage a forward'stop R, Figs. 4 and 5 and a rear stop S provided on the*un'der side ofth'e'rammer D.

' Atthe end of the forward strokeof the rammer the impact between the rear stop S and the finger Q will produce, by the tilting of the finger Q, and the depression of the latter beneath the stop, a rocking movement of the lever O which will have the result of actuating, through the gear M- NM, the pinion L in such a* manner as to move the clutch member K into engagement withthe clutch member J. And, inversely, the impact between the forward stop It and the 'finger P at the end of the rearward stroke will cause the lever O to rock in the reverse direction and move the clutch member K back. into its initial position.

All of these parts thus far described oombineand cooperate substantially in a manner set forth in my aforesaid application and patent.

D 1s a scoop. secured'to the forward end of the rammer D, said scoop being designed to receive the powder charge V, the projectile V resting on the carriage properimmediately 1n front of said scoop but in a position to be engaged thereby. The rammer includes a piston D pro- 'ascle'arly"illustrated in Fig.1.

In the ramming stroke, the entire gun charge is pushedinto the gun chamber into which the sc'oop'l) enters temporarily, Fig. 4-, the catch d? engaging at the endof the ramming stroke in the recess Z, as clearly shown in said Fig. 4. "In the rearward stroke the scoop D *slide's'away frombeneath the powdercharges V, which charges 1 areretained in the gun chamber by the pis ton D as illustrated in Fig. 5, the spring catch holding the piston against any tendency to move backward with the scoop.

When the parts have come into the position shown in Fig. 5, the guide sleeve D of the piston rod will contact at its rear end d with a large piston-like member I) of the piston rod and will thus move thepiston D back with it in the'rearward stroke "of the rammer, the spring catch yielding under the power applied and releasing the piston.

lVhen this rearward stroke is completed, theparts will be in the-position shown in Fig. 6 and it will only be required to push back the piston D by hand or otherwise, to return it into the initial position shown in Fig. 1.

By the construction thus described, it will be perceived that it is rendered feasible at a single stroke of the rammer to place the projectileand the powder charges in the gun, the reverse stroke of the rammer entirely removing the latter from the breech and into position'for loading another charge.

What is claimed is In an apparatus for loading guns, the combination with a loading carriage, a fixed framing in which said carriage can be moved out of the way during 'firing a'nd'in which said carriage travels, a rammerhaving a to-and-fro motion in said framingfancl a motor for operating said ra'i'mner, of two complementary clutch members one of which is located on the loading carriage and the other on said fixed framing, a first gear whereof said clutch member on the framing forms a part,'said"first gear being adapted to drive a controlling'device for starting and stopping SaiCl"l11'Ol10l',2L second gear whereof said clutch meniberlocatcd on said carriage forms a part and actuated by said ,rammer in its to-and-lro movements whereby theto-and-fro movements of said rammer .determine automatically the starting and stopping of the latter, a scoop for receiving the powder charges located at the front 01. said rammer for ramming a pro]ectile and its powder charges in a single operation, a

piston for ramming the powder charges guided'in said scoop, a catch adapted to engage the gun breech at the end of the ramming stroke, and means whereby said piston is moved back by said rammer on the I rear stroke of the latter afterit haspushed the powder charges out'of said scoop into the gun chamber.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

EUGENE scHNEIDER. 

